USC officially lost LenDale White on Wednesday and will lose Reggie Bush today, meaning two of the greatest tailbacks in school history will depart early for the NFL within 24 hours.

If that isn’t enough, junior safety Darnell Bing is now leaning toward applying for the NFL Draft, worried he might risk injury if he plays another year in college, according to sources. That would make USC coach Pete Carroll 0 for 4 in his recruiting efforts, because junior offensive tackle Winston Justice will announce as soon as today that he also is turning pro.

Bush’s decision is a foregone conclusion, and he already hired agent Joel Segal to represent him. He is considered a possible No. 1 pick, as the Houston Texans are believed to be interested in him and Texas quarterback Vince Young.

But Wednesday was White’s day, as he announced from Denver that he would go pro, a decision that wasn’t surprising since he already hired agent Eugene Parker and never met with Carroll this week to discuss his future.

“This is definitely a hard choice to come up with,” White said. “It definitely was a close decision. Ultimately, in my heart, it was the right decision to move on.

“It’s unfortunate to end this, but guys have to what’s best for them and frankly, Reggie brought out the best in me.”

White said the fact he never liked attending classes did not influence his decision, even though he was under constant supervision to make sure he didn’t skip too many.

“School didn’t have anything to do with it,” he said. “I felt I could help my family and my grandmother.”

White announced his decision from Denver, where he said his grandmother was in the hospital. He said USC’s two biggest names, quarterback Matt Leinart and Bush, gave him their blessing to turn pro.

“I talked to Matt Leinart and he kind of told me I should move on,” White said. “It was hard. I felt like I was leaving guys at ‘SC. I talked to Reggie and he said to go with (my) heart.”

Carroll, who wanted White to stay for another year, paid only compliments to the junior, who finished his career with 3,159 yards rushing, which ranks eighth in USC history, and only 10 yards behind Bush.

“We obviously hate to see LenDale go, but we understand,” Carroll said. “I think every player on our team, especially Reggie and Matt, would tell you that his presence was a key reason why our offense was so tough to stop.

“He provided the physical power and mentality that softened up defenses. And when he got near the goal line, you knew nothing would stop him from scoring.”

White led all Division I-A players this season with 24 rushing touchdowns and gained 1,302 yards, averaging 133.8 yards per game and 8.7 yards per carry.

Ironically, his final USC carry ended in failure as he got stopped inches short on a critical fourth-and-2 situation that allowed Texas to come back and defeat the Trojans in the Rose Bowl.

“Losing that game made me want to come back more and avenge that loss,” White said. “But ultimately in my heart, it was the right decision for me to move on.”

Bush said in a statement he completely supported White’s decision.

“I’m happy for him and I know it’ll work out for him,” Bush said. “I’m behind him 100 percent. He’s like my brother.”

During his announcement, White briefly held back tears.

“I don’t want to cry and be a baby, but it’s a big step forward for me and my family,” he said. “They dealt with the hard-headed LenDale.”

Exactly where White gets drafted will be the next question. He leaves this weekend for Florida to begin training full-time with people hired by his cousin, Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups.

“I need to get my 40 time up,” White said, referring to the 40-yard dash.

Carroll believed White would be a first-round pick, he just thought he would be a top-five pick if he returned for one more season. White did not ask for an NFL evaluation, unlike Justice, Bing and wide receiver Steve Smith, who is returning for his senior season.

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